It looks like a double post today. I somehow couldn't put all the fun tourist stuff in with the previous. I do find I'm having a bit of trouble with this blog format. I keep a journal for myself, but I don't often want to post all of that... and trust me, you don't want to read it either, it's not that interesting. :) But I do feel like there's a lot more I could be telling you; I just don't ever feel like I have the time to sit and write it all out properly. I suppose I need to just stop worrying about making it perfect and just jot down notes as I can.
My Lonely Planet guidebook refers to Ulaanbaatar as "an ugly scar on an otherwise beautiful country"... having just returned this morning from the national park, I'd have to agree. This city is crowded and polluted, but the countryside is just beautiful. We spent the day yesterday visiting a traditional ger camp, riding horses in the freezing cold, and exploring some of the landscape. There was a moment yesterday, leading my horse through the woods, that I thought to myself, "I am riding a horse, in the snow, in Mongolia." It was a bit surreal. I got to fill up on traditional Mongolian food (lots 'o meat and fried dough) and slept in a ger tent (this is just a big round structure made of felt... pictures to come). We had all been so afraid that we would be too cold, but as it turns out these gers are amazingly well-insulated, and we were not aware that there would be someone coming in during the night to rebuild the fire in the wood stove. One of my favorite memories of Mongolia will have to be sitting up last night at 2am giggling with Tracey, Sara, and Amy because the temperature in the ger was at near sauna level. We had all gone to sleep around 11:30 or so, and were up a few hours later finding it impossible to sleep because it was so hot. We had the door to the tent wide open (in the -20 C weather), but were all sweating. It was a beautiful, clear night last night, and I don't remember the last time I saw so many stars; they made the middle of the night trek to the scary outhouse almost bearable. :)
It's my last full day in Mongolia today, so here are some facts about the country for you (count this as your "you learn something new every day" moment for today). It's one of the least densly populated countries in the world with only 2.8 million people spread out over 1.56 million square miles, and over 1 million of those people living in Ulaanbaatar (contrast this with China, where there are 1.3 billion people in an area of 9.3 million square miles). Other than UB there are only 2 other "major" cities, I think. I was surprised to learn that there are nearly 1 million Mongolians that still lead a nomadic lifestyle, moving, with their livestock, from season to season, and living in traditional ger (yurt) camps. Only about 1/2 of Mongolians have access to clean drinking water and about 1/3 of them live below the poverty line. But... they have a suprisingly high literacy rate (over 95%).
So, it's off to Beijing tomorrow. I'm not quite sure what to expect from China. I can't say I'm really looking forward to the 30 hour train journey to get there, but I have to believe it will go by in a flash compared to the last. I have really enjoyed the group of people I'm traveling with. They seem to be tolerating me, and I have grown accustomed to all the teasing (one of them just refers to me as "America" and I continue to have my "accent" made fun of, although Tracey assures me I speak good English, for an American).
Having trouble uploading pictures here, but will get to all of those in China. More soon!
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